Fishing-float.



PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

L. M. JOHNSON. FISHING FLOAT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG: 28, 1905.

\A lvwess ss I /N \/ENT7F-Z,

1161mm l ovmaan,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. LESLIE M. .i mison, oialiis'r PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. i I FISHING-FLOAT.

Specification of utter- Patent.

' Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed August 28,1906. Serial No. 276,016

of Providence and State of Rhode Island,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fishing-Floats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain novel improvements in detachable fishing-floats, so called; and it consists, essential of the float proper havin a self-closing eye or lineguide at one end t ereof and a spring-clip or 'elding tension device secured to the upper side of the float for receiving the line therein, the said eye and clip members being arranged at substantially right angles to each other, all as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In detachable floats of the class referred to it is usual, in some cases at least, to rovide them with eyes or guides to receive t e fishing-line therein and hold it in. position by friction. In such former floats, however, the construction and arrangement were such that a strain or pull upon the line would disengage it from the olipor holder, thereby causing the fisherman much annoyance, coupled with the loss of time required to readjust the float.

In my improved float the advantages derived do not increase its cost of manufacture. The members of the self-closing guide engage with each other, so as to present a smooth and unobstructed surface to the line, and the latter cannot become accidentall detached from the spring-clip by any pul or tension upon the line-that is to say, the fixed relation or arrangement on the float of the guide to the clip is such that when the line is taut or erfectly straight (or under tension) it is stil in positive engagement with the guide and clip, although not touching the periphery of the float proper; but when desired the line may be automatically detached from the clip by reeling in the line until the clip member of the float is brought into engagement with the outer or tip end of the pole, at

which instant the continued reelin tension upon the line forcibly withdraws t e latter from the spring-clip, the float then dropping down the line to the water or to the sinker or hook, and is arrested by the comparatively small e e or guide.

In tile accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fishing-float embodying my improvements. Fig. .2 is a rearwardl corresponding plan view and F1 3 is a side view, showing the position of file line and float when the line is being automatically detached from the spring-clip or holder.

In the drawings, A designates my im proved float as a whole. To one end (when in use being the rear or lower end) of the body member a of the float and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof is permanently secured a wire eye or guide 11, forming a smooth spring hook or ring, one end I) being bent to receive the yielding fellow member or keeper b which closes the entrance to the eye. It will be seen that the free end of the part b is concealed and protected in the bent portion 1;, thereby producing a perfectly smooth and unobstructed opening for the line. (See Fig. 2.)

c designates a spring-clip made from a piece of suitable wire bent to form ractically two vertically-arranged convo utions located side by side and terminating in the two downwardly-extending attaching-prongs c. I prefer to position the clip on the upper exterior side and near the center of the float a, the top or holding portion 0 of the clip extending, say, above an imaginary line m drawn through the eye I) and the clip and being tangent to the periphery of the float. (See Fig. 1.)

It will be seen that as drawn the eye member b is arranged in a horizontal plane, the

clip a being in a vertical plane and at subthe adjacent yieldin sides or coils c". When in use, however, this is automatically effected, Fig. 3, by reeling the line Zin the arrow direction until the clip forcibly engages the end p of the pole-tip p, the result being to withdraw the line from the clip, substantially as just stated. It is obvious that the line may be readil inserted into or detached from the guide b by simply pressing the member If to uncover the opening for the passage 0 the line.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture,

ICS

a fishing-float comprising an ellipsoidal body member a,-an eye or line-guide mounted n one end thereof and a peripheral spring-chp secured to said bod and located substantially midway of it, t e jaws or yielding sides of said clip longitudinal axis of the b0 y and extending perpendicularly above the latter, the upper portion of the clip and the outer end 0 the eye member being in alinement with each other and with a point in the intermediate peri heral surface of thebody, substantially as s own and described.-

2. The fishing-float Aherein described, consisting of the ellipsoidal-shaped body member a, the self-closing hook or lineide b rigidly secured in one end of said b0 y, and the clip 0 having parallel yielding sides, said clip being secured to the body member and projecting radially from the surface thereof at its maximum transverse diameter, the top or free member being arallel with the end of the clip being in alinement with said guide 12 and having that por-- tion ofthe surface of the body lying between said guide and clip members substantiall below a straight line passing through said members.

3. A fishing-float comprising an ellipsoidalshaped body a, an e e member secured in the center of one end 02 the body, and a sprin clip ri 'dly secured to and located central y of the ength of the latter and'projecting upwardly or outwardly therefrom; the length of the chp being such that its up er or free end -is adaptedto intersect a stralg l it line passing through said eye and being tangent to the adjacent surface of the body, substantially as described.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 26th day ofiAugust, 1905. g LESLIE M. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. REMINGTON, A. P. COBB. 

